Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-02-12

me loves ourn."
Trust me to do all that devoted woman
can will get through before daybreak or
die in the attempt But how am to goi'
"Hide this paper somewhar. Aunt Debbyll
fix We up ez country gal, while I'm gittin'
yer mar saddled an britllei with some COM
mon harness, instid o. the fancy fixin's We he'd
when ye rode out heah, Eff ye're stopt, ez We
likely will be, say thet we've been ter town
fur the doctor an some medicine fur yer sick
l.ammy an are tryin' ter git back ter yer
home on the south fork o Overall's creek
Now, go an git ready ez quick ez the Lord'll
let ye."
As she heard the mares hoofs i'll front of
the door, Rachel came cut with ''slat sur
bonnet on her head, and long, black calico
riding skirt over her linsey dress. Fortner
gave her attire an approving nod. Aunt
Debby followed her with bottle This is
the medicine ye've bin ter git from Dir.
Thacker heah III town" she said, handing the
vial. "Remember the name, fur fear We mollt
meet some one who knows the town Dr.
Thacker, who lives a little piece often the
square, an gives big doses of epecac fur
everything, from brakebCne fever ter the
itch"
"Dr. Thaeker, who lives just off the square,"
said Rachel. "rIl be certain to remember"
take this, too" said Fortner, handing her
finely finished revolver, of rather large
caliber Don't pull hit onleSs we can't git
along without hit, an then make sho o. yer
man Salt him
Good by-Ciod bless We" stlld Aunt Debby,
taking Rachel to her heart in a passionate
embrace, and kissing her repeatedly. "God
bless We agin No one ever he'd more need O
His bleSsin' then we'uns will fur the next few
hours Eff He does bless Us an our work
we'll all be safe an sound in Gineral Rosen-
Grams tent afore noon But ef His Wills
different we'll be by thet time whar the Con-
federates cease from troublin,' and the weary
are at rest I'm sure tllet ef thot the Con
federates war gwino ter whip our men I'd
never want ter see the sun rise ter -morrer
Good by; we're all in the hands O. Him who
seeth even the sparrers fall
Fortner led the mare a little ways, to
where he could get a good view, and then
said:
"Thet second line o fires which We see over
thar is our lines-them fires | mean which
run up inter the woods. The fust line is the
Confederates. Yen go right out this road
heah tell We sit outside the town, an then
turn ter yer right am make fur the Stone
river, ford hit or swim your mar across. an
make yer way thru or round the Confederate
line Eff ye find good road, an everything
favorable We mout try ter make yer way
strait thru eff We think ye kin fool the guards
with yer story. Ef ye're fearful ye can't
then ride beyond the lines, an come inter
ours thet-a-way Aunt Debbyll go ter the
other flank, an try ter git a-past Breckin-
ridges pickets, an I'll tempt ter make nv
way thru the center. We may all or none o
us git thru. l can't gin ye much advice, ez
yell hev ter trust mainly ter ycrself. But
remember all the time what hangs upon yer
gittin' the news ter Rosy afore daybreak
Think all the time thet mebbc ye kin save
the hull army, nlebbe win the yictry, sartinly
save heeps o Union lives an fool the pizen
Confederates This is the greatest chance
yell ever hey ter do good in all yer life, or a
hundred more, ef We could live EN-. Good
by. Eff GoI Almighty smiles on us we'll
meet ter-morref Oh yon s,'c u Stone river.
Ef He frovnS wc1l meet on yon side o the
Shinin' River Goojbv"
He released her hand aud her horse, and
| she rode forward into the darkness. Her
course took her first up a main street. which
was crowded with wa"ou>. aIuhulanrCs and
| artillery. Groups of men miuGiAj with these,
| and crowded upon the sidewalks. When she
| passed the light of window the men stared
at her, anG some few presumed upon her
| homely garb so far as to venture upon face
| tious and complimentary remarks, aimed al
| latt
She made no reply, but hurried her mare
| onward, as fast as she could pick her way,
| She soon passed out of the limits OF the town
and was in the country, though she was yet
in the midst of camps, and still had to thread
her way through masses Of men, horses and
wagons moving along the road.
! The first iutter Of perturbation at going
| out into the darkness and the midst of armed
men had given way to p more composed feel
| ing No one had stopped her, or offered to
| no one had shown any symptom Of surprise
| at her presence there at that hour. She
! began to hope that this immunity would con
| t;nue until she had made ,ler way to the Union
| lines. She had left the thick of the crowd
behind some distance AMI was going along al
fair pnce over clear read, studying al
| the while the Ike Of fires far to her right
III an attempt TO discover i promising darB
| gap in their extent
She was startled by a band laii upon he,
| bride and voice saying
| Say, Sis, who mout We lie an whar moui
! We be mosyin' ter this time o night
| She saw a squad of hrigandish looking
| stragglers at her mares head
MY names Polly Briggs | 1--we on the
south fork O. 0veraiis creek. I've done
been ter DR. Thackcg's in Murfreesboro, fuI
J some medicine fur my sick nanny, an Tn
| Oh my way back home, an I'd be much
| obleeged ter We gentlemen ef ye'd low me tel
| go on, kase mammyS powerful sick an she:
in great hurry fur he7 medicine"
She said this with GOODNESS and a perfect
imitation of the speech and manner Of the
| section that surprised herself As she ended
she looked directly al the squad, and inspected
| them She saw she had reason TO bt
alarmed They were those prowling wolve:
| found about all armies, to whom war meant
only wider opportunities for all manner Of
viilainy and outrage. An unprotected gir
was welcome prize to them. 1t was moi
death as a spy she had to fear, but worse
Now, if ever. she must act decisively. The
leader took his hand froIl her bride, as if tC
| place it on her.
Yer powerful peart sort Of gal, an ei
purity ez a fawn. Yer nanny can gil
long without the medicine a little while
| am
He did not finish the sentence, for before
his hand could touch her Rachels whip cui
deep vale across his face. and then it fel
so savagely upon the mares flank that The
high-soirited animal sprang forward as il
shot from a catapult, and was a hundred
| yards away before the raScals really com
pretended what had happened
| Onward sped the mettled brute, so mad
dened by the first cruel blow she had evel
received that she refused to obey the rein
but made her own way by and through sucl
objects as she encountered. When she at las
Gained down the road was clear and lonely
and Rachel began searching for indications
of favorable point of approach to the rive
that hinted at q bridge or ford While en-
gagged in this she heard voices approaching